35 Years of the FBK Clean Rooms: From Microelectronics to Communication Technologies, the Roadmap to the Future Is Set

05/05/2025 Thanks to its consolidated experience in the manufacture of silicon sensors, Fondazione Bruno Kessler has won a €50 million grant to develop a new generation of microelectromechanical sensors and systems. Over the next three years, the Foundation will invest a total of €82 million to expand its Clean Rooms.

To mark this milestone, FBK hosted an Open Facility Day, welcoming companies and stakeholders to explore the evolution of its laboratories. The event highlighted the path that has led to FBK’s unprecedented expansion, unveiling new development and innovation models created in collaboration with industry partners. It also underscored the Foundation’s long-standing expertise in silicon sensor production—now extending over three decades.

The occasion celebrated the successful conclusion of the IPCEI ME @FBK project—FBK’s first Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI)—after five years, during which €14 million was invested in infrastructure, labs, and talent. This effort not only led to technological advancements but also sparked new industrial collaborations.

Thanks to IPCEI ME funding, FBK has enhanced what is now its core infrastructure: the Clean Room. Cleaner than an operating room, this lab processes silicon wafers into radiation detectors.